Unless U to build new school on donated land

By November, Unless U, which offers continuing education for adults with special needs, is hoping to have a new building to house their school.

Executive Director Lindy Cleveland said the nonprofit organization has received donated land at 737 Chestnut St., on the corner lot of Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church. The church donated one lot and residents Jerry and Karen Duncan gave the adjacent lot.

The organization began in 2014 at Shades Mountain Baptist Church, but the plan was always to move from the church into a “forever home,” Cleveland said.

“This was never meant to be a long-term solution [at SMBC],” Cleveland said.

Unless U has reached maximum capacity at the church, where they must set up and tear down each week to meet the church’s needs, Cleveland said. Currently, the school teaches 40 students for four days a week.

“We’ve had to quickly grow to meet that need with our staff,” Cleveland said. “It’s been crazy. I definitely didn’t expect for us to be where we are today.”

The new building will give them room to grow in the future, as well as the recognition of a building with their name on it, Cleveland said.

In its four-year history, Unless U hasn’t had a capital campaign or a large fundraiser. Instead, they have benefited from smaller fundraisers and the help of area groups, like the students at Cleveland’s alma mater, Vestavia Hills High School, which donated $50,100 to the organization in 2017.

Now, faced with building a new school, the organization will launch its first capital campaign in February, with a goal of raising $1.3 million in three years. The organization has already set aside more than $300,000 for the project.

“We feel set up for success,” Cleveland said.

Currently, Cleveland is contacting friends, family and supporters of the organization, putting together a board and writing grants for the project.

A groundbreaking was held Nov. 4 at the site of the future school, which Cleveland said she hopes to open on the organization’s fifth anniversary in November 2019. The Unless U “Founding Fathers” broke the ground, and a handful of speakers spoke at the event. 

Dr. Ammie Akin, campaign chair, said Unless U will forever be grateful for the help of Shades Mountain Baptist, and that everything has “fallen into place seamlessly” to allow Unless U to begin their move into their new home.

Doug Williamson, chairman of the board, told the crowd about the financial details of the project but said God has been guiding Unless U since its inception. He said there’s no better time or place to begin building the organization’s “forever home.”

“Yes, this is an ambitious project, but based on all of the events that have led us to today, we are convinced that now is the time and this is the place for the new home of Unless U,” Williamson said.

The new space will allow Unless U to move to teaching 75 students five days a week, as well as host multiple classrooms, a library, a lunchroom, a job skills classroom, a fine arts space, offices and more. Cleveland said she also hopes to add a business that could provide some job opportunities for students.

Unless U focuses on academics for adults with developmental disabilities and seeks to create a college-like atmosphere for high school graduates.

“We really push school, and we want our students to continue to grow in education,” Cleveland said.

Jim Sturdivant, whose son, Daniel, is one of the “founding fathers,” spoke at the groundbreaking about how the organization has benefited their family.

“When I tuck Daniel in on Monday night, on Wednesday night and on Thursday night, it’s a little extra fun,” Sturdivant said. “… He is so excited, because guess what the next day is? It’s Unless U day. Every time, every night, it’s the same way. He is thrilled.

“… If you ever want to see what the kingdom of heaven looks like on earth, and in a version you can actually sense with your five senses … you come to Unless U one day, and you’ll see the kingdom of heaven,” Sturdivant added.

More information about Unless U can be found at unlessu.org.